Swimming collar



July 7, 1925.

S. R. MIL-BURY SWIMMING COLLAR Filed Feb. 28, 1922 R, W Y a aim,

Patented July 7, 1925.

V SETH R. MILBURY, 0F IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

SWIMMING COLLAR.

Application filed February 28, 1922. Serial No. 539,981.

To all whom it may concern.

Be i known that I, SETH RplvliILBURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Collars, of which the following is a. specification. v

This invention has reference to a pneumatic swimming ring or collar having attachment to the person as an aid in learning to swim. V

An important object of the invention is to provide a swimming collar capable of being adjusted to the body in various positions and giving added buoyancy without restricting movement of the limbs. it

An additional object is to provide an in-: flatable swimming collar which may be used singularly or in pairs and of such design and shape as to provide buoyant means at the front, back, or either side of the bather.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the proposed swimming collar.

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section thereof, and

Figure 3 is a detail view of the adjacent end of the collar showing one method fastening the same.

This collar is made from rubber and when inflated may be worn on the arms at the shoulder or around the neck or waist of bathers to float them and aid in their learning to swim.

It consists of a tubular ring 10 opened on one side as indicated by the sealed ends 11 and 12 and of elliptical contour to provide relatively wide buoyant portions at either side of the collar as indicated at 13 and 14 respectively. The diameter of the tube is greatest at the centers of the side portions, as seen in the sectional view of Figure 2, and gradually diminishes on opposite sides so that intermediate narrow portions 15 and 16 are respectively provided at the front and rear of the collar. An inflating tube 17 and a valve 18 is placed at any convenient part of the collar and enables the latter to be readily inflated or deflated as required.

When worn around the neck, the collar is securely tied with tape or string insertedthru loops 20 at the ends of the-collar which is turned to bring the loop at the back of the neck, whereby. the chin of the bather will nest comfortably in the groove or narrow portion 16 of the collar. Consequently there is but little bulk directly under thechin and the increased diameters of the side portions 13 and 14 give added buoyancy at either side of the chin. I 'When worn around the arms at the shoulder, the swimming collar is provided in'pairs and so positioned that the buoyant side portions '13 and 14 of the collar extend .both front and back and narrow portions 15 and 16 fit under the arms, thus making little bulk and 'leaving'the-arm free to movewith-v out interference. r

- When worn around the waist the collar will be made of increased-size andis worn with thesmall part of the collar based at the back and front of the bather thus positioning the buoyant portions on either side, giving added buoyancy and floating the bather without interfering with the free use of the limbs.

Anysuitable fastening means may be employed for the securing the collar in place and if desired, the two loops at the back may be dispensed with and eyelet holes 20 substituted therefor as shown in Figure 3. When used in pairs the swimming collars are connected with a piece of tape or string tied from one to the other and running across the chest or back of neck or both so as to prevent collars from slipping off or working out of place. The flexibility of the collar enables it to readily conform to part of the person to which attached and its elliptical shape enables it to be shifted to the convenience of the bather.

From the foregoing it is believed that the advantages and novel features of the invention can be readily understood and further detail description is unnecessary.

What is claimed 1s:

1. An inflatable swimming collar comprising a tubular ring opening on one side to receive the neck, arms, or waist of the bather and increasing in diameter to provide buoyant side portions on each side of the opening, said side portions being sub stantially crescent shaped and of a gradually diminishing diameter towards oppos te ends of the said portion.

2. An inflatable swimming collar of annulus or elliptical formation having adcontour to provide relatively wide buoyant portions on opposite sides of the collar, the said tubular ring being greatest in diameter at the centers of the side portions and grad ually diminishing in diameter on opposite sides of the centers of the said side portions to provide relatively narrow portions at the front and rear of the collar and intermediate relatively wide buoyant portions of the collar, fasteningmeans carried by the collar for securing the same at the said open ing, and an inflating tube and valve mounted on one of the said side portions.

14:. A swimming collar consisting of an annulus having opposite side port-ions tapering circumferentially toward both ends so that when worn about the neck it gives little bulk directly under the chin and added buoyancy at either side of the chin.

5. A swimming collar adapted to be worn about the neck of a leather and consisting of an open annulus reduced circumierentially to provide narrow portions at the front and rear of the collar and wide side portions between the said narrow portions, the narrow portion at the front of the collar providing a circumferential groove in which the chin of the leather is adapted to be comfortably nested with little bulk directly under the chin and the said side portions tapering toward both ends to provide added buoy ancy at either side of the chin.

6. A swimming collar consisting oi an open annulus having opposite side portions tapering toward both ends to provide intermediate narrow portions at the. front and rear of the collar, the circumference'ot the said collar increasing gradually on opposite sides of the said narrow portions and reaching its maximum only at the trans verse centers of the said side portions whereby the increased size of the latter provide added buoyancy at opposite extremes of the said collar.

turei In testimony whereof I alibi my signa- 

